Naltrexone, a drug used to ease cravings for addictive drugs, reduced weight gain in women smokers who were trying to kick the habit.

Related

TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2012 — Smokers are likely to gain weight, between 4 and 10 pounds on average, in the first 12 months after they stop smoking. Fear of packing on extra pounds often keeps people, especially women, from quitting.

But a drug being tested for smoking cessation may reduce weight gain in women who quit, according to a study from the University of Chicago and Yale University.

The drug, naltrexone, is an opioid blocker primarily used to treat people who have stopped drinking alcohol or using drugs because it can ease cravings for alcohol, heroin, and nicotine.

In an analysis of data from the two largest clinical trials that used naltrexone to help participants quit smoking, researchers found the drug helped men quit smoking but did not improve quit rates for women any better than a placebo. Women taking naltrexone who did quit smoking, however, gained less weight — an average of 2.3 pounds after three months compared to 5.1 pounds for women on the placebo.

"When trying to stop smoking, women tend to gain more weight than men and to be more concerned about gaining that weight," said study author Andrea King, PhD, in a release from the University of Chicago Medicine, where she is a professor. "Women who try to quit may be so worried about putting on weight in the process that they soon give up, and this is less commonly found in men. Adding naltrexone to standard treatment might help women get through that difficult early period."

The benefit of naltrexone for limiting weight gain continued over the first year after quitting, although its effects diminished — from a 50 percent weight loss reduction at three months to 20 percent reduction at 12 months.

The findings were published in the December issue of Biological Psychiatry.

"Naltrexone has produced the most promising results to date for helping women who quit smoking gain less weight," Dr. King also said. "It is possible that the opioid blocker reduces women’s tendency to eat high fat and sweet foods when they quit smoking."

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.